Production of antiricketic



UNITED STATES PRODUCTION OF ANTIRICKETIC SUBSTANCES August J. Pacini,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Ameri-.

can Research Delaware Products, Inc., a corporation of No Drawing.Application August 13, 1928, Serial No. 299,453

Claims.

5 sistance, promotion or catalysis of the synthesis and transmutation ofanti-ricketic and similar substances; and to the production ofanti-ricketic products by use of cathode and canal rays.

The invention is a continuation in part of my patent applications,Serial Numbers 215,264 and 239,258, filed August 24, 1927 and December10, 1927, respectively, now Patents Nos. 1,681,120 and 1,771,343respectively.

A general object of the invention is the pro-- vision of a new processof producing the antiricketic vitamin D comprising the treatment of anactivatible substance by corpuscular discharges as for instance canalrays, cathode rays such as emanate from a Lenard tube, or emanations ofnaturally radioactive substances.

Among the several more specific objects of the invention may be notedthe treatment of substances which elaborate growth-producing substances,to produce anti-ricketic substances which include the so-called vitaminD, by the use of?" radiation characterized as not being ordinarilyincluded in the electromagnetic spectrum, such as cathode and canal raysor other rays of the corpuscular discharge type.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the classdescribed, by which commercial production of anti-ricketic food andmedicinal products may be practically accomplished on a substantialscale of operations.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means forconverting substances into anti-ricketic substances which include theso-called vitamin D, without necessarily including biologicallyeffective ultraviolet radiation, but including cathode or canal rayradiation, together with a promoting or catalyzing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide catalysts as converting orsynthesizing means of the class described, by which commercialproduction of anti-ricketic food and medicinal products may be morepractically accomplished on a substantial scale of operations.

, Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, steps and sequence of steps, features of construction andarrangements which will be exemplified in the articles hereinafterdescribed, and the scope of the application of which will be indicatedin the following claims.

The above mentioned radiations may be used to produce anti-ricketicproperties in any activatible substance such as cholesterol, forexample, and in the common food substances olive oil, oleomargarine androlled oats.

As an illustration of an application of the invention, any activatiblesubstance, as for example cholesterol, is briefly exposed to cathoderays obtained from a modified Lenard tube such as is used for classicalphysics experiments, or any equivalent thereof in which a high tensioncurrent passes from one electrode to the other and the canal rays arethen allowed to pass through any adequate metallic window in the tube.In consequence of this practically momentary exposure, vitamin Dproperties are developed.

In place of using the cathode rays, canal rays may be substituted toeffect the desired activation.

Moreover, it is possible to secondarily induce cathode rays bybombardment of a resistant material with X-rays and utilize such raysfor purposes of activation, in place of rays produced in a Lenard tube.

Again, the corpuscular emanations of naturally radioactive substancessuch as thorium, radium, uranium and similar materials can be used toeffect the production of vitamin D from activatible substances.

The exposure is terminated before the substance becomes rancidified.

In consequence of such treatment the cholesterol, suffers modificationsin due time revealed by the following changes; a lowering in the meltingpoint, a tendency to change color passing from pure white tocream-yellow or deeper, a change in solubility in organic solvents, noapparent change in empiric constitution, a change in its reactiontowards certain reagents (such as freshly distilled aniline 15 partsmixed with 1 part of pure hydrochloric acid, with which reagentunaltered cholesterol gives no color on boiling, but activatedcholesterol produces a burgundy red color indicative of a change), andfinally, that the cholesterol, previously incapable of serving as ananti-ricketic becomes powerfully anti-ricketic, depending upon thefactors of exposure.

The action of the rays can be interpreted in terms of photo-chemistryand probably involves electronic re-orientation in the atoms of themolecules undergoing activation.

It is another primary one of the objects of this invention to providemeans whereby cathode and catalysts to be used vary with the reactionsand raw materials used, their choice being governed by experiment.

The catalyst may be placedwith the material and left there afteractivation, or removed, at

" ,the will of the operator.

t A catalyst as herein used is defined as any substance which, withregard to vitamins, will accelerate reactions between activatiblematerial and radiation sources of the class hereinbefore set out.

Having described the details of the method for making the aboveconversions-and transmutations, the following is to be made clear.

Foods are rendered anti-ricketic, either by applying thegrowth-producing substances or other activatible substances to the foodby wet or dry mixing'and then exposing the thus treated food to cathodeor canal rays, either aloneor through the use of catalysts. rthe'activatible substances may be first rendered anti-ricketic and thenapplied to the foods by wet or dry mixing, or the food may be exposeddirectly without previous admixture of any sort, as in the case of seedoils, cereals, and the like. Mixing may be accomplished mechanically orotherwise.

The same variations of method hold with respect to the manufacture ofmedicinal products, although the direct methods, hereinbefore described,are preferable in the case of the manufacture of said medicinalproducts.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several objects ofthe invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above objects withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is. intended that allmatter contained in the above description shall beinterpreted asillustrative and not in;

comprising a member of the group chlorine and bromine, said exposurebeing terminated before the substance becomes rancidified.

2. The method of treating a substance containing appropriate activatingmaterial to become anti-ricketic comprising exposing the substance torays of the corpuscular discharge type in the presence of a catalystcomprising a member of the group chlorine and'bromine for acceleratingthe effects of said rays.

3. The method of treating cholesterol to cause it to becomeanti-ricketic comprising exposing the same to rays of the corpusculardischarge type, and accelerating the efiect'of the exposure by carryingit on in the presence of a catalyst comprising a member of the groupchlorine and bromine, said exposure being of the order of one minute'sduration.

4. The process of treating alimentary products which consists insubjecting the same to low velocity cathode rays and of the order of 7those emanating from a Lenard tube for a sufficient length of time onlyto develop vitamin D therein.

*5. The process of treating alimentary products which consists insubjecting the same to a low velocity corpuscular discharge such asemanates from a Lenard tube, for a suificient length of time only todevelop vitamin D therein;

AUGUST J. PACINI.

